Saginaw Township approves new subdivision; road construction to begin next

Phase two of Meadowlark Estates in Saginaw Township would connect to Jasmine Drive, which is now a dead end. The development would be the first new subdivision in the township in more than half a decade.Annie Harrison | MLive.com

SAGINAW TOWNSHIP, MI —Construction on a new subdivision in Saginaw Township is expected to begin this summer.

The Saginaw Township Board of Trustees Monday night granted a request from JJN Builders and Developers to approve the final preliminary plat to subdivide an 8.14 acre parcel of land into 19 single family residential lots to be known as Meadowlark Estates 2. The plat now moves to the state for the third and final hearing process to approve the development.

D&M Site Inc. owner John D. Morey said some construction can begin as Saginaw Township waits for approval from the state. He said he expects dirt to start being moved for a new road on the property in June or July.

“This gives us the approval to go ahead and build the road,” he said. “We just can’t build any lots.”

Morey said a water-retention area in the new subdivision is designed to allow the grass to stay green and dry so children can play in the space.

“There will be room to play out there and run around,” he said.

Trustee Florence P. Connolly said she likes that the retention area in the subdivision also can function as a pocket park for neighborhood families.

“I think that’s great,” she said of the design. “We’ve been away from that for a while.”

The Saginaw Township Board of Trustees approved four other items at the meeting.

The Board approved a motion to purchase and install an auxiliary generator for the Twin Oaks Sanitary Sewer Pump Station from Michigan Critical Power of Byron Center, in the amount of $14,259. The auxiliary generator runs on natural gas.

The Board approved a three-year contract from 2014 to 2017 with Synagro of Baltimore to dispose of the Waste Water Treatment Plant’s biosolids in the amount of $0.0324 per gallon, $0.0329 per gallon and $0.0334 per gallon, for each respective year. Up to 4 million gallons are handled per year, valued at close to $100,000, Saginaw Township Manager Rob Grose said.

The Board awarded a contract to Saginaw Valley Fence Co. of Thomas Township in the amount of $13,175 for the replacement of the fence surrounding Gotto Park. Herbert “Sonny” Grunwell, director of Public Works for Saginaw Township, said existing fence has been deteriorating for a while. “We’ve got to replace it because it can no longer be fixed,” he said.

The Board approved a motion to purchase a multipurpose floor cleaning machine for Center Courts in the amount of $7,878 from Arnold Sales of Bay City. The existing machine has been used daily for 12 years, Grunwell said, and is going to be kept as a backup.

In other business, Saginaw Township Treasurer Steven G. Gerhardt said Independent Bank is joining other banks in Saginaw Township to assist residents with their taxes. He said Independent Bank is coming on board in May in preparation for the next summer tax season.